Following the world premiere of the 2018 Honda Civic Type R Prototype at the Paris Auto Show, the car is celebrating its North American debut at SEMA 2016 in Las Vegas.
While hot hatch-loving Europeans are used to getting new Civic Type Rs every few years, this new one will also be sold in the United States in the hopes of rivaling the all-conquering Ford Focus RS. While we’ll have to wait until next year to see if it delivers, its exterior styling is certainly more outlandish than the Focus RS.
Perhaps the most eye-catching element of the Type R Prototype is its brushed titanium-like finish. Although this won’t make it to production, the rest of the vehicle’s exterior is tipped to go unchanged for the road-going model.
Based around the new Civic hatchback, the front of the Type R Prototype receives an entirely new fascia with large air intakes, dedicated fog lights, a bold splitter and of course, that famed red Honda badge and ‘Type R’ logo.
Other styling changes include a hood scoop, flared wheel arches, bespoke black and red wheels, a huge rear wing, menacing rear bumper and three centrally-exiting tailpipes reminiscent of the Ferrari 458 Italia and F40.
It is understood that the new Civic Type R will hit U.S. streets powered by the same 2.0-liter turbo’d four-cylinder of the outgoing model albeit tuned to over the existing 306 hp. Unlike the Focus RS however, the Honda will be offered solely with front-wheel drive.
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